Tasty recipes from chef Ronit Penso's kitchen

Fennel, Pomelo and Mango Salad with Pan Roasted Honey-Mustard Salmon

This quick and tasty dish combines two simple dishes, that can be served on their own, into one.While I usually pair fennel, which has a nice crunch and mild anise flavor, with oranges, this time I chose pomelo, a fruit that looks like a giant grapefruit, instead. The pomelo added a nice sweet-slightly bitter flavor, which worked perfectly with the fennel.
To round up the flavors, I’ve added some mango cubes, which added their bright yellow color, tropical flavor and softer texture. The salad was seasoned simply, with lemon juice, honey and olive oil, which enhanced the salad’s flavors.
The result is a fresh, tasty salad, that can be served on its own, or, as I have done here, as a bed for pan roasted salmon.
The quick cooking and addition of honey and mustard added a nice mild flavor to the fish, which also worked well with the salad, and the colors complemented both beautifully. Try it and enjoy.

Notes:
* If you can’t get pomelo, grapefruit can be used instead, though the texture will be different, as the pomelo flesh is firmer. It is also easier to peel the pomelo into segments, while with grapefruit you will need to use a knife to separate them from the skin.
* Though the salmon I’ve used was frozen, it had a nice flavor and texture, due to the fact it was wild caught and vacuum packed. Obviously, good quality fresh salmon can be used instead.

1.Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a ramekin . Keep at room temperature.
2. Pat dry the fish with paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
3. In a medium pan, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the salmon, skin side up, and fry for about 2-3 minutes.
4. Flip to the skin side and fry for about 2 minutes. Drain the oil from the pan, pour the dressing on top and place back on the stove.
5. Cook for about 2 minutes longer (depending on thickness of the fillets and preferred doneness). Serve immediately, with the salad.

Thank you Judi, glad you liked this “mix and match” dish. I gathered whatever I had in the fridge and it ended up as this very tasty combination, which I will definitely make again. Sometimes having no plan when cooking is not a bad thing!
Enjoy your breakfast! :)

I’m never afraid to “mix and match”. Even if not a raging success, new ideas can be born. This is definitely a raging success! The mangoes here are not very flavorful compared to those that were everywhere when I lived in Florida as a kid. Those were so delicious – the juices would run down our arms – and we would get all sticky and need to run home to wash it off. Or find a neighbor’s garden hose. Sharing a water facility was not considered trespassing in those days. I would worry about lethal force today.

Hurricane Irma just denuded my son’s 70-year old avocado tree of multiple hundreds of avocados. I could just cry from his pictures of wheelbarrows full of rotting deliciousness.

It’s not always possible to improvise when you have to cook for others, but whenever I can, I definitely enjoy it.
No doubt those mangoes you’ve had back then were way better than anything we can get now. I think that on the whole fruits and vegetables deteriorated in taste over the years. I do try my best to buy at farm stands, but obviously not all is available there.
Such a shame about your son’s avocado tree. I do hope this horrible hurricane season will be over soon!

Oh my Ronit, what a lovely, refreshing and delicious salad and it sounds just perfect with the salmon. It all looks wonderful!! It is sometimes hard to find pomelo here in NYC but if I can’t find a grapefruit would do nicely do you think?

Thank you Suzanne, I’m glad you liked the recipes. This combination was indeed very tasty.
Grapefruit is a bit different in texture, as pomelo has firmer flesh, but flavor wise it will work very well here. Hope you’ll enjoy it. :)

I knew immediately I would like this after looking at the salmon – perfect salad to show off a nice piece of fish. I don’t use pomelo but will be looking for it when I shop. I always wanted to cut a mango like that too but always do it the hard way :)

Thank you Judi! The salmon really shined with this salad, both in color and flavor.
Pomelo is such a wonderful fruit, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it once you’ll try it.
As for the mango, it really is so much easier to cut it this way. Give it a try and see! :)

Two of my favourites, fennel and salmon! A fabulous combo and looks so refreshing….I would love a taste! I don’t believe I’ve ever had a pomelo, will make sure to pick one up this weekend! Just wonderful Ronit!

Thank you Marisa, glad you like this tasty combination as much as I do.
I hope you’ll be able to find pomelo and enjoy this wonderful fruit. It’s in season now and I can’t have enough of it. It’s so tasty and can be used in so many ways. You’re in for a treat! :)

Fantastic combination! Fennel and citrus fruit go so well together and the salmon sounds like a flavor-explosion in the making~ Can’t wait ’til fresh pomelos are hitting the market in about a month’s time :)

I am newly following this Blog on WordPress. It is called TASTY EATS; Tasty Recipes from Chef Ronit Penso’s Kitchen.” I think I should give the credit for the really, quite actually unordinary presentation of ordinary ingredients; but for a real chef, I suppose it is not too difficult to pull together. So, nevertheless, serving as inspiration to the needy. I really can’t get enough of the recipes I find on the pages encounters. So I suppose I shouldn’t reprint so much though; the site belongs where it is found on WordPress.